Improved plan ing-machine



` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

C. P. S. WARDWELL, OF LAKE VILLAGE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

IMPROVED PLANlNG-IVIACHINE.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,174, dated January 14, 1862.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, C. P. S. WARDwELL, of Lake Village, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Planing and Edging Clapboards and other Similar Articles or Materials, to which it is peculiarly applicable; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure yl is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2, a plan thereof; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section of the same in the plane indicated by the line .fr 00, Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a rear elevation thereof; Fig. 5, a plan of the under side of a part detached.

Like letters and numerals designate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

The 'clapboards are iirst placed upon guides A A at one end of thejmachine,'each guide receiving a clapboard, as the machine is arranged for planing two at a time, or double in its action throughout. These guides are adjustably horizontally to or from each other or to any lateral position by means of handscrews ct c, which work through the guides and through their supporting-bars B B, substantially as represented in the drawings. These supportingfbars are also adjustable vertically on their standard-frames C G by means of adjusting slots and screws b b, so that the guides may be situated at any height desired.

The above fixture, composing and supporting the adjustable guides A A, is entirely distinct from the main working-machine, all the parts of which are mounted in a suitable frame F; but this frame-work and the supporting-standards C C of the guides are secured to the same base, as shown in the drawings, or otherwise established in fixed relative positions, so that the clapboards may be fed or passed from one to the other; also the l horizontal and vertical adjustments of the guides are made in reference to the main machine, in a manner which will be fully understood from the description following.

The first and most essential feature of the machine is the bed-frame or bed E and its hinged bed-plates L L, which support, gage the position, shape, and thickness of, and de liver to the cutter-head W the clapboards for dressing, edging, and planing.

The bed-plate E has simply a vertical movement or adjustment directly toward or from the cutter-head V,\vhich is situated centrally vover it, whereby the thickness of the clapboards is varied uniformly throughout their whole width. This adjustment is effected by means of screws d d, situated, respectively, at the sides of the machine. These screws have their bearings h 7i. in the frame, and are turned by means of hand-wheels g g, or their equivalents, and in order that all parts ofthe bed may be moved with precise uniformity the two screws have hubs or pulleys K K, which are provided with cog projections lo 7s at regular intervals around their peripheries to enter corresponding apertures or links at equal distances apart in a suitable connecting band or chain J, substantially as shown in the drawings. Thus the movement of one screw dpcontrols and equally moves the other screw, and the bed may be thereby adj usted by turning either wheel g, as may be most convenient, or according to which side of the machine the attendant may be on.

The bed-plates L L are hinged longitudinally to the middle of the bed E by the hinges m m and central pivot Z, so that their outer edges may be raised and lowered at pleasure, andA their outer edges are adjusted enough lower than their inner edges to give the required thickness to the thick edges of the clapboards either positive or in proportion to the thickness of the thin edges. The adjustment for this purpose is effected simultaneously and equally on both bed-plates by the following arrangement: On the under side of each bed-plate near its outer edge are two projections o o, having their lower edges suitably, correspondently, and equally inclined, as shown in Fig. 3, the inclination of those on one bed-plate being in the opposite direction to those of the other. Suitably supported in ways arerespectively located beneath these projections two sliding bars O O, which have inclined projections n n, so arranged,respect ively, as to fit against and sustain the inclined projections of the bed-plates, substantially as shown in Fig. 3, so that by sliding these bars forward or backward the edges of the bedplates are raised or lowered, as desired. The

two slide-bars are connected by a cross-lever P, which is pivoted to the bed E in the middle at p, and has its ends jointed to said slidebars, as seen in Fig. 5, or otherwise, so that when one slide-bar is moved one way the other slide-bar is moved equally the other way, and since the wedge action of their respective proj ections n n is in opposite directions it follows that the simultaneous effect of both slide-bars on their respective bed-plates L L is precisely the saine. One of the slide-bars is moved forward and backward by means of a hand-screw N, which consequently actuates both slide-bars at once. Although this adjustment of the bedplates is intended mainly to vary the absolute vor relative thickness of the thick clapboardedges, and for similar purposes, yet the bedplates may thereby be adjusted to an exact level, so as to dress and plane stuff of uniform thickness, the adjustment of the bed E enabling that thickness also to be varied at pleasure.

The bed-plates L L are provided, respectively, with gages D D, substantially as shown in the drawings, for the purpose of keeping the clapboardsin line and in the right position. These gages are adjustable toward or from the center to 'suit narrow or wide clapboards by means of slots or sets of holes H II II in the bed-plates and adjusting-screws II, passing through and securing the gages thereto, as represented, or by equivalent means. In order to keep the thick edges of the clapboards with certainty in constant contact with these gages, there are, first, provided small rollers Q Q, projecting slightly up through the bedplates in positions directly beneath the front feed-roller T and situated not exactly at right angles to the line of motion in feeding along the clapboards,but at angles slighily inclined thereto in the proper direction to tend to move the clapboards sidewise against the gages; but the most effective and necessary means of keeping the clapboards in line and position is the employment of one or'more of serrated Wheels R R, which have sharp or pointed teeth projecting up through the bedplates a little just beneath the hind feedroller U and somewhat oblique to the line of the feed motion in the direction to cause the clapboards to press toward and thus run invariably in contact with the gages, as will be understood by inspecting the arrangement in Fig. 5.

The thick edges of the clapboards are jointed or edged, first, by saws G G, which are mounted and adjustable on an arbor j in the front end of the bed E and driven by a a band and pulley 1l. The clapboards are delivered to these saws from the guides AA, above described. The gages D D and saws G G are so set in relation to each other that their inner faces shall be in line, as repre sented. The gages also have cutters S S immediately behind the saws to smooth the straightened edges of the clapboards after being jointed by the saws, the shavings passing back through grooves or channels s s in the tops of the gages D D.

The feed-rollers T U are pressed down to the work by springs t a, as usual.

Just in front of the cutter-head W, and as close to it as practicable, is located a curved plate V, substantially as represented, for the purpose of keeping the splinters and shavings pressed down. Its lower edge projects under the cutter-head as closely to the cutting-line as may be. It is attached to hinged arms rr, which are drawn downward by springs o 'u so as to keep the fender-plate V constantly pressed down upon the clapboard s. A similar curved plate X, but not so wide as the plate V, is located just behind the cutter-head, similarly attached to hinged arms w w and drawn down by springs u o, for the purpose of holding the clapboards steadily down up on the bed-plates.

The cutter-head W is driven by the power direct through the driving-pulley l on its shaft. On the other'end of its shaft is apulley 7, from which a band 2 proceeds to a wheel 5, and from a pulley 4:, on the shaft of said wheel, another band 3 proceeds to a wheel 6, which turns loosely on the shaft of the cutter-head. Attached tothe hub of this loose wheel is a pinion 9, which gears into two oog-wheels lO 10 of equal size, respectively attached to the feed-rollers T U. Any other suitable arrangement of gearing and banding may, however, be employed.

The band 3 is tightened or loosened by means of a tightening-pulley Y, mounted on an arm y, which is controlled by a handle Z. This handle is held in any position by the notched plate e. Thus by tightening orloosening the band 3 the feed-rollers TU may be kept in operation or out of operation, at pleasure.

The rollers Q Q, in addition to assisting to keep the clapboards close to the gages D D, serve to raise the clapboards slightly from the bed-plates, and thereby to lessen friction; but this is not of much consequence, and serrated wheels, like those R R beneath the back feed-roller U may be employed in place of these rollers.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The hinged bed-plates L L, arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein specified.

2. The gages D D, adjustable on and in combination with the bed-plates L L, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the adjustable edg ingLsaWs G G with the hinged bed-plates L L and adjustable gages D D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the vertically-adjustable bed E and hinged bed-plates L L with the cutter-head W, substantially as herein specified.

5. The combination of the doubly-adj ustable guides A A with the hinged bed-plates L L, adjustable edging-saws G G, and gages D D, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the smoothing-cutters S S on the gages D D With the edgingsaws G G, for the purpose set forth.

7. The obliquely-situated serrated Wheels R R, (Whether acting in connection with or in the place of the rollers Q Q,) in combination with the gages D D, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

8. The combination and arrangement of the sliding bars O O and their inclined projections n 'n and connecting-lever P With the inclined projections 0 0 on the bottom of the hinged bed-plates L L, operating substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

9. The combination of the two curved pressure and fender plates V X, mounted, respectively, on hinged arms r r and w w and. drawn down by springs u o, with the cutterhead XV, substantially as herein specified.

In Witness that the above is a true specilication of my improved machine for planing and edging clapboards, zc., I hereunto set my hand this 7 th day of August, 1861.

C. P. S. VARDWELL. Witnesses:

J. W. THYNE, JOHN BLAISDELL. 

